Lifting apparatus



J. BUROFSKY.

LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1919.

1,345,992. Patented uly 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS: JNVENTOR ATTORNEY.

J'osqah Burmfs'ky- J. BUROFSKY.

LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11, 1919.

Patented July 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS:

Josgoh Burafskg 1N VENT 0R.

ATIORNEJC UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

c LIFTING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 11, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrir BUROFSKY, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lifting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for lifting or raising articles of great weight or devices of a dangerous or explosive nature.

The invention is particularly adaptable for lifting articles which are lying flat on the floor or ground in a horizontal position, to a vertical position and to this end the apparatus is primarily adapted for use in arsenals or shell manufacturing plants for raising from horizontal to vertical positions, the large projectiles or shells used in high calibered guns.

Ordinarily projectiles of high caliber and which have been fitted with the initial detonating charges, have to be very carefully handled and in raising the same from horizontal. to vertical positions to plant them on end, great care must be exercised in the manipulation of a projectile of this character and the present method involves the employment of numerous men to properly accomplish the result.

I aim to provide a mechanism which will cut down the amount of manual labor ordinarily employed for the operation; accomplish the lifting of the projectile without danger of the manipulators straining themselves and further bring about the desired result in a careful eflicient manner to pre vent accidental discharge of the projectile that is being operated upon.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which,-

Figure 1is a side elevation of the dcvice.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3..is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing the connection be tween one of the chains and an end of the cradle member and one of the rollers thereon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Serial No. 329,911.

Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view taken through the device looking at one of the inner faces thereof, and

Fig. 5-is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the views, I provide a frame 10 consisting of sides 11 held in spaced relation and in upright positions by cross pieces 12, the sides being suitably supported on anti-friction rollers or casters 13, to permit of sliding the frame over the floor or ground with suitable sprags 1+1 hinged upon the sides of the frame for the purpose of securing the apparatus rigidly against movement and preventing it from rolling on the casters 13. Each side 11 has a cut out portion 15 in the upper and lower ends of which suitable sprocket wheels 16 are mounted to turn, the same be ing carried on'suitable brackets 17 secured to the side with a continuous link chain 18 passing over the sprocket wheels as shown, said chain lying in the cut out portion of each side and also operating over a pinion 19 carried on a stud shaft 20 journaled in the side of the frame with one provided for each side and each chain, each stud shaft furthermore carrying a larger toothed wheel 21 meshing with a pinion 22 on a cross shaft 23 which on one end carries an operating handle 24. I preferably provide a similar chain operating structure for each side of the machine in order to insure uniformity of operation although of course only one operating handle 24: need be provided as will be readily understood, it being clear from what has been described that when the handle 24 is actuated, rotation will be imparted to the shaft 23 which will also bring about rotation of the pinions 22, the latter meshing with the toothed wheels 21, to rotate the same and which in turn will bring about rotation of the pinions 19, thus actuating the chains 18 over the sprocket wheels 16. Adjacent to each chain there is secured to each side a runner or track 25 as shown, and spanning the spaces between the sides 11 is a cradle 26 in the nature of a stirrup shaped bar 27, each end of which is connected to and forms one of the connecting pins of each chain 18, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3, a plurality of rollers 29 being mounted to rotate upon the bar 27, one

provided adjacent each end of the bar with the said rollers adapted to operate overthe runners or tracks 25.

The numeral 80 indicates a large heavy projectile which as shown, is in horizontal position and which it is desired toraise into a vertical position so that itwill stand upright upon its end. By reference to Figs. 2 and 4:, it will be seenthat the central portion of the cradle 26 extends downward sufliciently to permit of rolling the apparatus'on the casters into a position where said cradle will extend beneath the tapered end of the projectile or shell, after which the machine is secured in position by the sprags 14. The handle 2 L is now operated to actuate the chains described heretofore, and thus it will be apparent that an upward movement will result on the part of thecradle 26 lifting the forward or pointed end of the shell upwardly at an angle so as tov graduallyqswing the shell into an upward and upstanding position. It will of course be apparent that one or possibly two men may be employed to steady the shell during the lifting operation but it will be clear that with adevice of this character the amount of manual labor normally em ployed to carry out the dangerous operation, is greatly reduced and-the operation is made a safe one, devoid of the dangers usually accompanying the manual raising of a. charged projectile or shell.

It will of course be apparent that various slight chan es may be made from the construction shown herein, the device being naturally built in difierent sizes and different proportions for operation upon difierent sizes and weights of shells or projectiles and that these changes may be brought about without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A device of the character described, comprising a frameformed of spaced vertical sides having cut out portions, sprocket wheels mounted in said out out portions, continuous chains in said out out portions and carried on said sprocket wheels, an interposed cradle having its ends connected to said chains, mechanism for actuating said chains carrying the cradle therewith, runners carried on the sides of the frame adjacent the said chains and rollers on the cradle and operating over said runners when the cradle is actuated by the operation of said chains.

2. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a frame and continuous chains carried thereby and operable in said frame, of means for actuating said chains, a cradle connected with said chains to be actuated by the latter, runners on the frame in juxtaposition to the chains and rollers on the cradle and operating over said runners to guide the cradle in its movement when the same is actuated by the operation of said chains.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH BUROFSKY. 

